Salix sitchensis
C. A. Sanson ex Bong.
Sitka willow
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(c) judith holm, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND), uploaded by judith holm
iNaturalist· cc-by-nc
(c) Remington Jackson, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Remington Jackson
Summary
Source: WikipediaSalix sitchensis is a species of willow known by the common name Sitka willow. It is native to northwestern North America from Alaska to northern California to Montana. It is a common to abundant plant in many types of coastal and inland wetland habitat, such as marshes, riverbanks, swamps, coastal sand dunes, and mountain springs.
Description
A deciduous shrub growing to 7 m tall, hardy to UK zone 4. Dioecious; requires both male and female plants for seed production. Adapts to light sandy, medium loamy, and heavy clay soils with mildly acid to neutral pH. Cannot tolerate shade and prefers moist to wet soil conditions.
Edible Uses
The inner bark can be eaten raw or cooked, or dried, ground into a powder, and mixed with cereal flour for bread-making. It has a very bitter flavour and is considered a famine food, used only as a last resort. Young shoots can be cooked but are not very palatable.
Medicinal Uses
A concoction made from boiled bark is used as a tonic. The bark can also be pounded and applied directly to wounds as a healing agent. An infusion of the stems has been used to treat stomach complaints. The fresh bark contains salicin, which likely breaks down into salicylic acid (closely related to aspirin) in the body, functioning as an anodyne and febrifuge.
Known Hazards
None listed.
Distribution
It is a temperate plant.
Where It Grows
Australia, Canada, North America, USA,
Cultivation
Succeeds in most soils, including wet, ill-drained or intermittently flooded soils, but prefers a damp, heavy soil in a sunny position. Rarely thrives on chalk. Hybridizes freely with other members of this genus. Although the flowers are produced in catkins early in the year, they are pollinated by bees and other insects rather than by the wind. Plants in this genus are notably susceptible to honey fungus. Dioecious. Male and female plants must be grown if seed is required.
Propagation
Seed must be surface sown as soon as it ripens in late spring, as viability is very short — perhaps only a few days. Cuttings of mature wood from the current year's growth can be taken November to February and rooted in a sheltered outdoor bed or planted directly into their permanent position with a good weed-suppressing mulch; this is very easy. Plant out in autumn. Half-ripe cuttings taken June to August and rooted in a frame are also very easy.
Other Uses
The plant succeeds in wet, poorly drained, or intermittently flooded soils. Its flexible stems are used in basket making, with plants typically coppiced annually or every two years for thicker upright poles. The roots have also been used to make baskets. The bark can be peeled, twisted, and used for cordage. The wood is light, soft, and close-grained, and is used for fuel. The plant is a dynamic accumulator.
Notes
There are about 300 Salix species.
Synonyms
References (3)
- Farrar, J.L., 1995, Trees of the Northern United States and Canada. Iowa State University press/Ames p 330
- Mem. Acad. Imp. Sci. St.-Petersbourg, Ser. 6, Sci.Math. 2(2):162. 1832
- Plants for a Future database, The Field, Penpol, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, PL22 0NG, UK. http://www.scs.leeds.ac.uk/pfaf/
